Can anyone recommend a floaty thermal soarer for FPV

[bignose13]

Andy
What radio will you be using for control??
Also are you putting any rth and stabilisation in it??

[skyscraper]

Andy
What radio will you be using for control??
Also are you putting any rth and stabilisation in it??

For RC, I will be using my FrSky telemetry system, since I use the telemetry from that to guide my tracker. Eventually I will mount the FrSky Tx module on the tracker and use the £5 patch antenna for FrsKy Tx  from GiantShark http://www.giantshark.co.uk/frsky-patch-antenna-p-406510.html. The handset will just send the stick movements to the tx on the tracker maybe via a low power UHF radio link. or just a serial cable. That should give me 2 Km range I reckon.

I definitely do want stabilisation and RTH, since I have that on my wing. I found that RTH is hepful more than anything at the start of the flight. I take off without the goggles, then flip to RTH and fumble about for the goggles. Its a last resort if I get lost too.

As to which one.. thats a conundrum.

Overall I like the Open Source autopilots rather than the buy and fly ones ( I like the idea of being able to tinker with the code), but the only one that is mature really is the Ardupilot so that will probbaly be my choice, since the stabilisation and the RTH are the features I want and I know they work reasonably well., since I have already got an Ardupilot Mega V1 board in my wing and I have found it works ok. I like to do a bit of code hacking and its good for that. I may go for the Ardupilot Mega 2.5. Another option is the PX4.http://www.buildyourowndrone.co.uk/PX4-AutoPilot-s/88.htm I like the idea of it, but 1) its expensive 2) its not very mature and 3) I would have to learn everything again, find bugs etc.

I really like the PX4 though.... hmm a lot of decisions to make yet!

I also want an OSD. I am very happy with the MinimOSD and I think it'll work with either Ardupilot or PX4 since they both use mavlink protocol

regards
Andy

[skyscraper]

Thanks for the link electrotor! Boy there is quite a bit of building!

Anyway ...

Solius ordered! (£99 inc PnP from Sussex Model Centre)  :)

Now to decide what other goodies I need to get!

regards
Andy

Solius arrived Great!

Opened box..

Both wings warped to F**k
One wing had no aluminium spar in ..

B**ks!

Guess you cant blame Sussex Model Centre for whats in the box. Very prompt delivery! Anyway back it goes ... ZZZh!

regards
Andy

[bignose13]

In all the years I've been modelling I've never had a duff kit from multiplex, unlucky mate but I suppose it had to happen sometime
Sussex will sort you out, pretty good cs I always find there,
Apart from the faults what do you reckon to the glider anyway??

[electrotor]

Bummer. Sounds like you got the Friday afternoon floor sweepings before they all went off to the beer cellar. I too have never had a bad kit from Herr Multiplex.
Zis iz not vot ve expect from a respected German manufacturer. Zee employee who iz responsible vill be severely disciplined.  >:(

[skyscraper]

Yeah I thought Multiplex was a pretty good bet.

Heres a pic of the wing roots. The spars are somehow inserted during manufacturer, except on one wing there is nothing, not even a slot for it:



Heres a picture of the warp. There is a kink at the trailing edge:



Maybe I'm being fussy? Maybe this is normal for a foamie? Thats what I'm worried about
The lack of a spar I am less concerned about, since its an obvious error than the warped wings. I wouldnt mind so much on a low aspect ratio wing but the warps in the wings will kill the performance on this. I want it for thermal soaring but also to fly fast.

If this is the best I can hope for from a kit I would rather build my own or get a plane with built up wings.

regards
Andy

[Njoro]

"unlucky" I've had 2 EGpros for FPV they are so docile and float well if the weight is kept to a minimum. I've still got one as a standby FPV model; have a look in my media album for some of the mods. The longest flight I had was 25 min. I've got the a clip on tube of the maiden and my second ever FPV light. It's a bit grainy, HD cameras still weighed a brick.


http://youtu.be/5OijG-TdKIY

[Granpaw Jonah]

I was gonna sugest the FlyFly Condor Magic 2.9m.  I fly one. She has a composite fuselage and built balsa wings. set up right they fly superbly with great thermalling capability and a big canopy area for your gear. But then I see you've bought some foam thing. Now don't get me wrong... I have a few foam planes and I love em, but I wouldn't go for a foam glider..... sorry I was late with my thrupence worth.... hope it all goes well.
GJ   ;)

[pk-surfing]

Granpaw that looks a nice glider (Condor Magic), are you flying this FPV ?

If you had to choose between the Condor and the Cularis for a big FPV powered glider which would you go for ?

Thanks

PK

[skyscraper]

I was gonna sugest the FlyFly Condor Magic 2.9m.  I fly one. She has a composite fuselage and built balsa wings. set up right they fly superbly with great thermalling capability and a big canopy area for your gear. But then I see you've bought some foam thing. Now don't get me wrong... I have a few foam planes and I love em, but I wouldn't go for a foam glider..... sorry I was late with my thrupence worth.... hope it all goes well.
GJ   ;)

You are probably right. Building a plane out of packaging material? Never seemed quite right! Maybe I should just cancel my order...

I think what this is really telling me is not to be lazy and design and build my own specifically designed for FPV thermal soarer

EDIT: cancelled replacement , just going for a refund. Going to go back to rolling my own!

The FlyFly Condor looks great, but a bit out of my price range.. and I'd have to start buying bigger motors and batteries!

regards
Andy

[Granpaw Jonah]

Hi, I haven't flown it FPV yet, I'm still 'In training' on my FPV Raptor, but I have filmed from it and it's an incredibly stable platform.  I've had this glider about 6 years and I bought it as a well used second hand aircraft so it's flown for hours, had at least 3 serious crashes and the wings, fuselage and tail have stood up to it all. So yeah, it is an expensive item & you need a 6-700 watt motor, 60A esc & 4 decent servos but it's a craft that'll last you for years. 'Course that's not to say that foamies can't last well also... just my preference,  Good luck with whatever you go for mate.... I gotta move like Jagger now....
  GJ              ;D

[Granpaw Jonah]

Yeah... soz to bang on...Just been looking at the Condor.. I'd forgetten how much ballast I'd had to load the nose with to balance (including a 4240 850K & 12 x 6 folding prop driven by a 3 cell 4000mAh battery) for COG..300g at least. The glider stiil climbs steeply even though a 4 cell is the manufacturers recommendation.  So plenty of ballast to ditch in favour of FPV gear. I recon my average flight would last 40 minutes. In that time I probably climb at 3/4 throttle 7 times for a minute. Usually the batteries take 14 - 1800mAh. You need a lot of expo on the elevator, you know how responsive 'T' tails are...
   I'm off outto fly it now for the first time this year... oo-er.
  GJ

[skyscraper]

With the FPV gear on? Will be interested to see how it goes...!

regards
Andy

[pk-surfing]

Me too....

I want to check which Granpaw would keep for fpv if he could only keep one of them, Cularis or Condor  :)

PK

[Granpaw Jonah]

 I've had my share of multiplex models and for the amount of tinkering etc you have to do to them you might as well go for the Condor 'kit' type thing where you choose your own drive, servos etc.
  no guys... I aint got me f-in' FPV gear on it yet.... I told yer.. I'm trainin' on me Raptor. hopefully my Clearview goggles will be here soon and I might have a go with the Condor when I can see where I'm flyin'!  :-X